UNDERCURRENTS
(In Post-Production)
73 MINS DRAMA/COMING-OF-AGE
WRITER/DIRECTOR Yizhi Yi
At Guo's photography exhibition, Mingzi spots her own photo from four years ago. Since then, she's been lost in memories, recalling moments at the lake with her old friends, watching their reflections in the water, braving the rain, and capturing stars by the sea with an old film camera. Now, she's transitions into a non-fiction writer, interviewing women she's long admired but never had the courage to become. Living by the sea in Boston, she's yet to set foot on the sandy shores. Mingzi continues to grapple with her past and facing the dilemma of her own intimate relationship…
DIRECTOR STATEMENT
During the final summer of high school, my two friends and I often found ourselves caught in sudden downpours as we wandered around the lake and the old Chinese residential areas with cameras in hand, pausing now and then to capture footage. Our efforts led to the creation of an experimental short film called "Lemon," written by Xiao Li, which is about the bitterness of unrequited love. Only later did I realize the depth of their feelings for each other, as well as Xiao Guo's uncertainty between two different intimate relationships. Driven by a strong moral compass, I quietly chose to end that important friendship.
Two years later, during my college years, as I entered my first romantic relationship, I discovered the fluid nature of relationships, affections, desires, and love. And I first recognized that the traumatic experiences with my family have persistently reminded me of my insecurities for love, which inevitably affected this new relationship. Memories of Xiao Guo resurfaced. Her tearful plea and words from years ago lingered in my thoughts: "I want to feel free.”Did she struggle with similar dilemma back then? I wished I had hugged her.
As raindrops trickled down the windowpane—bringing back memories of that stormy summer, our distorted reflection in the misty lake, and the waves pushing against each other at night—I wrote this narrative. Although the story and characters are fictional, the moments of emotions and conflicts are drawn from my own life experiences.
"Undercurrents" is for women who have endured trauma and misunderstandings, while also being a film that acknowledges our journey into adulthood. Through this film, I aim to capture the subtle yet profound currents that run beneath the surface of daily life, exploring themes of trauma, friendship, family, and love from the perspective of a girl and a woman’s experience.